The Letters of Abelard and Heloise
Translated by John Hughes
Get it in Sphinx
Coming soon to iPhone and Android. Join the waitlist to hear when Sphinx opens.
The opening
LETTER I. ABELARD to PHILINTUS.
ABELARD to PHILINTUS.
The last time we were together, Philintus, you gave me a melancholy account of your misfortunes. I was sensibly touched with the relation, and, like a true friend, bore a share in your griefs. What did I not say to stop your tears? I laid before you all the reasons Philosophy could furnish, which I thought might any ways soften the strokes of Fortune: but all endeavours have proved useless: grief I perceive, has wholly seized your spirits: and your prudence, far from assisting, seems quite to have forsaken you. But my skilful friendship has found out an expedient to relieve you. Attend to me a moment; hear but the story of my misfortunes, and yours, Philintus, will be nothing, if you compare them with those of the loving and unhappy Abelard. Observe, I beseech you, at what expence I endeavour to serve you: and think this no small mark of my affection; for I am going to present you with the relation of such particulars, as it is impossible for me to recollect without piercing my heart with the most sensible affliction.
The whole book is in the Sphinx app.
About this edition
- The words
- John Hughes's English translation, copied word for word.
- Left out
- The source library's header, footer and license
- The title page and opening pages before chapter 1, in 2 places
- Printed ornaments and dividers, in 2 places
- Hughes's description introducing Letter I; it refers to the following letter in the third person
- Hughes's description introducing Letter II; it narrates Heloise opening and responding to the previous letter
- Notes and pages added by translators, editors or publishers, in 5 places
- Hughes's inserted advertisement before Letter III
- Hughes's description introducing Letter IV; it summarizes and judges Heloise's state
- Hughes's description introducing Letter V; it summarizes Heloise's recovery and state of mind
- Hughes's description introducing Letter VI; it summarizes Abelard's purpose and the letter's character
- Closing line (‘THE END’), not part of the work's text